


Warmth

by ErisedSubrocs



Series: Scorbus Holidays [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus Severus Potter - Freeform, Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Scorbus, Scorpius Malfoy - Freeform, adorably sweet & cavity inducing fluff, albus potter - Freeform, coat sharing, hogsmeade trip, scarf sharing, scorpius hyperion malfoy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 09:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8975056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErisedSubrocs/pseuds/ErisedSubrocs
Summary: Scorpius and Albus both find themselves affected by advances on Scorpius from a female classmate.  A trip to Hogsmeade, combined with a forgotten jacket, show them both that warmth can be found in unexpected, yet wonderful places.





	

The Slytherin common room and dormitory staircase were packed, filled with an unruly and unpredictable surge of students rushing to and from the dormitories, searching for lost items or shouting for their friend’s attention.  Albus Potter grimaced as a sixth-year student he didn’t know by name collided painfully with his side, which in turn caused him to stumble into Scorpius.  After a muttered apology, Albus half shouted over the noise, “Surely talking for five more minutes with Elise would have been preferable to braving this?”  
  
Scorpius cringed, but shook his head, looking at his best friend with horrified eyes.  “Nope, uh uh, I’ll take this any day; it was getting far too awkward back there.”

“You’d rather be crushed by a tidal wave of students than endure the _horror_ of a girl flirting with you? You do know it’s generally considered good if a girl finds you worthy of her flirting?”

Scorpius ducked his head in shame as they reached the doorway to the 5th year dormitories and entered.  “Yes, I guess, I don’t know.  I just know it makes me uncomfortable.”

Albus let out a small noise that may have indicated annoyance or irritation as both boys crossed to their trunks and began to remove the required items for their trip into Hogsmeade.  After a pause, Albus briskly asked, “Do you like her?”

Scorpius noticed that Albus wasn’t looking at him.  Instead he appeared to be determinedly searching for something, although it appeared as though everything he needed was already on his bed.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly, ducking his head again to look at his shoes.  “I guess I probably should, shouldn’t I? I mean, she’s pretty, and she’s clever and likes reading, and she wears this perfume that smells like chocolate and plums and I’ve never smelled a perfume that smells like chocolate before.   So, I guess, in theory I should want to go out with her but I don’t, it just doesn’t feel right.  When I talk to her, I feel like I’m talking to one of my relatives that I hardly know, like I have to be overly polite and formal, and of course that makes the flirting even worse...  I don’t know, maybe me and girls just aren’t meant to be, you know what I’m like, Albus.  I’m –”

Scorpius stopped himself from continuing with difficulty and took a deep breath, before glancing up at Albus.  He was standing up straight and looking at Scorpius in a peculiar way, almost as though he were trying to hold in a joyful laugh or cheer.  The strange expression disappeared quickly and was replaced with a reassuring smile.  He gathered up his coin pouch and coat before walking over to Scorpius and clapping him on the back.  “Never mind mate, you just have to find the perfect person for you, and Elise isn’t the one!”

Scorpius smiled tentatively back at him, a strange, yet familiar feeling in his chest as he looked at Albus’s open, happy face.  “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, picking up his own coin bag and walking with Albus back out into the corridor, following the rest of the students down to the Entrance Hall to have their names checked off the caretaker’s list.

**~o~o~o~**

Halfway to Hogsmeade a bitter wind sprung up, whistling through the trees and bushes lining the road and sending snowflakes flitting madly around the two boys’ heads.  A good deal of them began to nest in Albus’s messy black hair, giving him an oddly spotted look that Scorpius almost laughed at.  Instead however, he gave an almighty shiver, and his teeth began to chatter.  Albus looked at him in alarm, taking in the way he was dressed for the first time.  “Scorpius, you look freezing! Where’s your coat?”

Scorpius hugged himself tightly, his head bent low to try and hide his chattering teeth from Albus.  “I forgot it,” he muttered.

Albus stared at him in disbelief and horror.  “How in the name of Merlin did you forget your _coat_ , Scorpius Malfoy? You never forget anything! You even remembered to bring Barlowen’s owl treats from home when I was packing and forgot them.  How did you forget the item of clothing that is going to prevent your whole body turning the same colour as your hair?”

Scorpius gave another violent shiver, causing Albus to pull him off the path and into the partial shelter of a group of trees.  “I d-don’t know, Al-bus.  We were t-t-talking and then we were leaving and my c-c-coat d-didn’t leave with m-me.  It’s having a lovely holid-day from being worn b-back in our lovely warm d-dormitory.”

Albus shook his head again, not quite managing to hide the small smile that had jumped to his lips at Scorpius’s words and predicament.  He unbuttoned the long coat he was wearing and stepped close beside Scorpius.  “Here, we can share my coat and scarf until we get to The Three Broomsticks.  You’ll need a butterbeer to warm up your frozen innards.”

Scorpius looked alarmed at this sudden turn of events, and as Albus pressed up against his side and wrapped one half of his coat (and an arm) around him, he was sure he could feel his icy cold face warm up.  Using his other hand, Albus unravelled half of his green and silver scarf and wrapped it around Scorpius’s neck. 

Still not quite sure how it had happened, Scorpius found himself pressed hard against Albus, their sides meeting all the way up their torsos and their heads pulled inwards by the scarf.  Scorpius could feel Albus’s hair against his own.  There was no question now, his face was _definitely_ too warm, and Scorpius found that he had to admit that he liked this closeness with Albus.  He liked it a lot. 

The combined effects of the coat, scarf and Albus’s own body heat soon halted Scorpius’s shivering.  Seeming satisfied with his handiwork, Albus steered their shared body back onto the road, taking care to match his strides with Scorpius’s.  The wind remained bitterly cold, but it did not seem to affect Scorpius anymore.  He knew that it was not entirely due to the coat and scarf either; his physical closeness with his best friend was generating a warm glow in his chest that seemed to be doing an excellent job of fighting the exterior cold on its own. 

Deep down, he knew what it meant, knew what it had always meant, for this was far from the first time he had experienced what he had termed The Albus Effect.  He had never experienced The Albus Effect this strongly before though, and the thought crossed his mind, as it had countless times before, that he should do something about it, that he should tell Albus the truth.  Scorpius had a suspicion ( _or maybe a delusion_ , he thought) that Albus felt similarly.  The hint of irritability whenever Scorpius became involved with Elise, the determined lack of eye contact when Albus had asked whether he liked her, and the poorly hidden expression of joy when Scorpius had expressed his lack of interest in Elise and claimed that he and girls weren’t meant to be.

Scorpius sighed, the cascade of thoughts churning around in his head like Albus’s robes in that fascinating machine the Potters owned.  The thought brought a small smile to his face, as he recalled Albus’s exasperated, yet fond expression as he watched Scorpius geek out over the washing machine.  He attempted to force the emotionally taxing thoughts out of his head and focus on enjoying his proximity with the boy that was his world.

Whilst Scorpius was deeply immersed in his thoughts, Albus had been steadily leading them both along the snowy road, occasionally stealing a glance at Scorpius, turning his head slightly and angling his eyes as far to the left as possible.  From what he could see of him, Albus could tell that Scorpius was thinking some very heavy thoughts.  His eyes were glazed and he was biting his lip, not unlike how he appeared when memorising an incantation or wand movement.  Albus looked away quickly each time, worried that he would give himself away, and because he wasn’t sure he could handle the sight of Scorpius wearing his thinking expression, coupled with the pink tinge that was colouring his usually pale face.  It was quite a number of paces before he dared take another look, and he was just in time to catch the fleeting smile that graced his best friend’s face.  He almost worked up the courage to ask Scorpius what he was thinking, when Scorpius, still preoccupied, tripped over a mound of snow.  He fell to the front and left and next thing Albus knew, there was an almighty tug on his neck, the world spun sideways, he felt a swooping sensation, and then he was laying on top of Scorpius. 

Both boys let out noises of surprise rather than pain as they fell, cushioned as they were by the soft snow (for Scorpius) and Scorpius himself (for Albus).  It took precisely two seconds for them to realise their current position.  Scorpius’s face flushed pink again as he glanced up at Albus’s face, suspended above his own.  Was Albus blushing as well? Or was it just the cold?

“Um,” said Albus, eloquently.

“Whoops-a-daisy,” uttered Scorpius, saying the first thing that came to mind.

Albus opened his mouth to speak, and then raised himself slightly as though planning to stand up, but he neither spoke nor stood.  Instead, he simply slid his eyes away from the spot to Scorpius’s left and looked him in the eye.  Scorpius swallowed, but didn’t look away.

“Um...” muttered Scorpius this time. 

“Uh, yeah,” replied Albus.  “This is – “

“Good,” Scorpius blurted, surprising himself.

Albus swallowed and nodded, still not moving the rest of his body an inch.

“Scorpius, I – there’s something I – something I need to –“

Scorpius summoned all his courage, reached up his right hand and placed it on Albus’s cheek.  It felt very warm against his icy cold skin.  “I know,” he whispered.

Albus swallowed again, but his eyes were beginning to fill with something Scorpius couldn’t describe, but it was breathtaking.  “And you?” Albus asked tentatively, as though he hardly dared hope.

“Always,” Scorpius breathed.  “Since we met, Albus.”

He continued to watch Albus’s bright green eyes grow brighter, both with happiness and a sudden welling of tears.  Scorpius suspected his eyes were similarly afflicted, and he could hardly contain the emotions coursing through him.  He slid his thumb along Albus’s cheek and wiped away the tear, and then as though a signal had been given, they both moved together.  Scorpius lifting his head up and Albus letting his fall, until their lips brushed together in a hesitant kiss that conveyed more than any words could.

They broke apart after several beautiful, breathtaking moments and as one their faces split into wide, joyous smiles.  Albus let out a bark of laughter and Scorpius just smiled as though there wasn’t a single thing in the world that could make him happier.

“Albus?” said Scorpius, after they had spent an eternity smiling and laughing and revelling in the turn of events.

“Yeah?”

“I really love this, and I – I love you, but I think I’m going to die of hypothermia if I don’t get out of this snow right now.”

“Oh, right!” said Albus, still looking positively drunk on happiness.  He clambered off Scorpius and pulled him up out of the snow, then proceeded to gently brush what he could off his robes.

“Shall we continue what we were doing before that particularly pleasant and enlightening fall?” asked Albus, still holding onto Scorpius’s hand.

“I think so,” replied Scorpius.  “I also think I’ll take you up on that butterbeer, and I’ll definitely need you to wrap me up in your jacket again.”

Albus laughed, and immediately wrapped his arm around Scorpius’s waist.  “I think we’ll leave the scarf this time though, hey?”

Scorpius began to laugh as well, and together they set of towards Hogsmeade once again, sharing a coat, and a love for each other that would surely keep them warm through the coldest winter.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading! This is the first ever piece of fanfic I have written, and I'm so happy that I was able to write this for by debut :)  
> If you can, I would be so grateful to you if you could leave me a comment telling me what you thought. I welcome compliments and constructive criticism alike, this is very much a learning process for me. Any comments you leave me will not only help me better my writing, but will give me much needed motivation to continue :)


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